MONSTER HUNTER WILDS PREVIEW: OPEN BETA IMPRESSIONS

The release of Monster Hunter Wilds is finally upon us, and with it comes a new slew of open beta tests! Capcom are doing their due diligence to ensure the launch of the newest and possibly most anticipated Monster Hunter game goes as well as possible for them, and this time around, I’m jumping back in to see if I could be convinced. Spoiler alert: I’m convinced, so my REAL goal during this play test is to get my feet wet as much as possible to prepare my novice hunter skills for the journey ahead. So, what did this final open beta test reveal, and should you check it out?

If you participated in the first open beta test that took place in October of last year, then you’ve already seen most of what this new test has to offer. However, to satiate the appetites of veteran hunters, Capcom have included a quest involving their flagship monster, Arkveld. When I say for veterans, I do mean for veterans. I took a few swings at him myself and was eliminated from the battlefield like a Smash character with 999% percent damage. If you’re looking to test your skills in this quest though, you’ll need to complete what was previously available in the previous beta first. 

In the second beta test, we revisit the opening section of the story revealing the big bad that we’re sent to quest after, as well as the larger overarching plot surrounding a mysterious boy somehow linked to that ancient beast. This opening section consists of a cinematic action set piece where our player character rides a seikret through the desert battling a host of sand based enemies en route to the region’s camp. This opening segment blends the intrigue of the game’s plot with a slice of the it’s heart pumping action sequences. 

Once the team has a minute to catch their breath, Alma, one of our player character’s main companions, helps us pick our weapons. By asking a series of questions regarding your play style and weapon preference, she’s able to recommend a weapon that is likely to be just right for you. I ended up with the dual blades but would eventually switch to the long sword – more on that later. From here, we transition into our first proper fight with a Chatacarba. For me, even with the fast and fluid dual blades, combat initially felt stiff and cumbersome. However, as I kept chipping away at the Chatacabra’s weak points, destroying wounds and breaking its stances, I started to feel the satisfaction that the design of this combat was made to make the player feel – but it would take a bit more than that for the game to truly get its hooks in me. 

Once we get to camp, Alma assigns us our first quest: take down an alpha Doshaguma. I approached this fight the same way I did during the first beta: by using dung pods to disperse the herd and isolate the alpha..only…I tracked the wrong Doshaguma after they dispersed. Eventually, the alpha would track me down as I was battling his companion to try and cut me down himself. Thus, an utterly chaotic 2-1 on battle ensued. “How could this be a fair fight”, I asked myself. Apparently a nearby dragon had the same thought, because moments later it would come to initiate a turf war with the duo of Doshagumas. Without any more dung pods to try and disperse the group, I had to pick a side and continue the fight – doing whatever I could to survive this insane encounter. Unexpected and chaotic encounters like these are what I’m looking forward to experiencing most in the full game. 

After my half hour bout with the Doshaguma, I tried my hand at the newly added monster: Arkveld. However, this encounter didn’t take nearly as long, as his massive gap in strength immediately proved too overwhelming for my novice skill set. I wasn’t too disheartened by this, in fact, it stoked my excitement to embark on a journey that would see me become strong enough to conquer him later. In the meantime, I decided to go test out other weapons – a feature I’m glad to not see limited in this open beta test. 

I love my dual blades, but the one quality they lack (by design) is heavy impact. I took a stab (pun intended) at the great sword which more than satisfied my appetite for hitting like a dump truck. As satisfying as it was though, I couldn’t come to terms with sacrificing nearly all of my combat speed in favor of strength, so instead, I sought to find a middle ground. I would find it with the Long Sword – a katana like weapon that hits like a truck and swings with the speed of the wind. Its Spiritual Blade special ability boasts an effective blend of power and precision, making me feel like a high speed butcher in battle. As it turns out, finding MY weapon would be the moment where the game would click for me – my aha moment if you will. I feel utterly attached to this weapon – addicted to its design purpose which feels tailor made for me. 

In my preview of the first open beta, I discussed my issues with what I felt were stiff character models, rough around the edges visual design, and input delays that made the game feel sluggish. After spending more time with the game I can clearly see that I was focused on the wrong characteristics. This game is first and foremost about the combat and its blend of fluidity, timing, and impact. The inputs aren’t sluggish, rather, each moveset has a very intentional animation lock that you have to consider before committing to it. What the visuals and character models lack in what may have been an unrealistic expectation on my end either way, more than make up for in their attention to detail and variety of enemy design. Once I got into the groove and met the game on its terms, all of that surface level criticism went away. Furthermore, my time taking on the Doshaguma, Chatacabra, and getting utterly humbled by the magnificent Arkveld (I’ll be back for you…), I feel fully prepared to take on Monster Hunter Wilds. In my opinion, this game is ready to go, and February 28th can’t come soon enough!